Market Place

Digital Access

Home Delivery

Want to make sure you receive the latest local news? We’ve got you covered! Get the best in local news, sports, community events, with focus on what’s coming up for the weekend. Weekly mail subscription offers

Email Newsletters

North Aurora moves toward creating volunteer force

By ERIC SCHELKOPF - eschelkopf@shawmedia.com

Feb. 5, 2013

NORTH AURORA – The village is closer to forming a volunteer force that could help police with community events or emergencies.

The North Aurora Village Board on Monday voted to create a Citizen Corps Council. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a volunteer program called Citizen Corps, founded in 2002 to enhance the nation’s emergency preparedness.

The program is locally managed by a Citizen Corps Council, which includes community leaders.

Citizen Corps Council members participate in activities such as developing community emergency plans and offering training, North Aurora Deputy Police Chief Scott Buziecki said. The Citizen Corps Council also could help recruit general volunteers for community events, such as North Aurora Days and the North Aurora Community Parade.

Buziecki, who has been pushing the idea of creating a volunteer force, also is the village’s emergency management coordinator.

“I think there will be a good number of people interested in getting involved,” he said.

More decisions need to be made before the program is up and running, such as who is going to be part of the Citizen Corps Council. He said the volunteer force won’t be ready in time to help with the North Aurora Days festival in August.

“There’s no timeline, and we’re not going to rush it, either,” Buziecki said.

The Citizen Corps Council is an umbrella organization under which the village can institute existing volunteer programs such as the Community Emergency Response Team or Volunteers In Police Service.

Several communities in the area, including Elburn, Aurora, Gilberts, Naperville and Huntley, have CERT programs. Buziecki said duties that CERT members could perform include directing traffic at crash sites and helping with North Aurora Days.